Rotary engine.



PATENTED NOV. 3, 1903.

A. H. PIERCE. ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 26, 1903.

UNITED STATES Iatented November 3, 1903 PATENT Ounce.

AARON H. PIERCE, OF TAMPA, FLORIDA, ASSIGNOR OF FIVE-EIGHTHS TO ALONZO A. DE LOACH, JOSIAH P. STEVENS, AND CARLOS W. STEVENS.

ROTARY ENGINE.

, SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 742,901, dated November 3, 1903.

Application filed February 26, 1903. Serial No- 14 5,265. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, AARON H. PIERCE, a citizen of theUnited States,residing at Tampa, in the county of Hillsboro andState of Florida, have invented a new and useful Rotary En gine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in rotary engines, and has for its principal object to provide an engine of simple and economical construction in which the steam may be used expansively on a plurality of sets of abutments or piston-wings disposed at different radial distances from the center of rotation of the piston.

A further object of the invention is to construct an engine of this class in which provision is made for accurately adjusting the amount of steam used and for controlling both the speed and power of the engine.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions, size, and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrifie ing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a rotary engine constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of one of the sections of the cylinder. Fig. 3 isa longitudinal sectional elevation of the engine on In the outer portion of the casing members is a continuous annular groove 5, which forms the steam-chest of the engine and is in com munioation with a source of supply, such as a steam-boiler, through the medium of apipe 6.

The two cylinder members are each provided with recesses forming a continuous annular groove 7 of a diameter somewhat smaller than that of the steam-chest and connected thereto by tangentially-disposed steam-inlet ports 8, through which the steam is directed against the periphery of the piston, and any number of these ports may be used, four being shown in the present instance.

In order to properly control the quantity of steam passing through the ports, I employ a valve-ring 9, arranged within the groove 5 and extending over the inlet ends of the several ports 8. This ring is provided with a number of openings 10, corresponding to the ports and so arranged as to permit of the opening or closing of the ports or the adjustment of the available area by the circumferential movement of the ring. The upper portion of the ring is provided with a slotted lug 11 for the reception of a pin 12, carried by a crank 13 at the end of a small rock-shaft 14, which extends out through a suitable stuffing-box at one side of thecylinder-casing and is provided with a handle or lever or other adjusting means whereby movement may be imparted to the ring to adjust the area of the steam-ports.

The inner wall of the steam-space formed by the groove 7 comprises a pair of annular ribs 15, which are formed in the inner faces of the two cylinder members and slightly spaced from each other for the reception of the piston, and in these ribs are formed open ings 16 for the passage of the steam after the latter has accomplished its work in the groove 7, these openings or ports being much larger in size than the steam-ports 8.

The central portion of each of the cylinder members is widened somewhat to form an enlarged space or box for the reception of the steam after it passes through the opening 16, and this space or box is in free communication with an exhaust-pipe or the like, which conveys the steam or other actuating fluid from the cylinder. The central portions of the cylinder members are cored to form water-jackets, which surround bushings or bearing-blocks 18, through which passes a shaft 19 for the support of the piston.

The piston 20 is provided with a central hub of a width somewhat less than the distance Too between the bushings 18 and at apoint near its outer face is provided with annular grooves 21, arranged one on each side of the piston and serving for the reception of the ribs 15. From the periphery of the piston-body project a number of piston-wings 23, so arranged that when opposite the steam-inlet ports Sthe faces of the wings will be in aplane substantially at a right angle to the length of the port in order that the impact of the jets of steam may be rendered more effective.

On each side of the piston is arranged an annular row of projecting ribs 22, arranged on slightly-curved lines in a manner somewhat similar to that followed in the construction of turbines. These ribs or wings extend inwardly from the peripheral line of the piston and are acted upon by steam passing from the groove 7 through the several ports 16, the steam acting in the same direction as the initial movement imparted by the impacting jets of steam passing through the ports 8 After acting 011 the ribs or wings the steam enters the large central chamber around the water-jackets and escapes through the exhaust-ports.

It will be noticed that the area of the outer groove '7 is much less than the area of the inner chamber, Where the steam acts on the ribs or wings 22, so that back pressure is avoided, and the steam, having expanded, is enabled to transmit its energy to the piston without interfering with the entrance of steam through the ports.

In carrying the invention into effect the number of rows of piston-wings may be increased to any desired extent, and in Fig. 4 is illustrated a construction in which the piston is provided with three sets of piston wings or blades of successively larger area. In this case corresponding reference-numerals are employed to indicate parts corresponding to those already described. Between the outer row of impact-wings and the inner row of ribs is placed an intermediate row of impact-wings 30, arranged in suitable grooves, being acted upon by steam passing from the outer groove 7, and after the steam has operated on the wings 30 it finally passes to the inner row of ribs or wings 22. The piston in this case is preferably provided with a pair of oppositely-disposed annular flanges 24,

which project over the adjacent ends of the water-jackets and serve as guards for the shaft.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. The combination in a rotary engine, of a two-part cylinder having a plurality of concentrically-disposed annular steam-chambers and a central exhaust-chamber, ports for placing the steam-chambers in communication with each other, and a piston having peripherally-disposed impact-wings in the outer chamber and being further provided with a plurality of laterally-projecting turbine wings or blades disposed on opposite sides of said piston and fitting within the inner steam-chamber.

2. The combination in a rotary engine, of a two-part cylinder, each part being provided with ported ribs dividing the cylinder into a plurality of concentric annular steam-chambers, and a piston fitting between the ribs and provided with a plurality of impact-rings extending beyond its peripheral line and disposed within the outer groove, said piston being further provided with laterally'projecting wings disposed within the inner groove.

3. The combination in a rotary steam-engine, of a two-part cylinder, each part being provided With ported ribs and dividing the cylinder into a plurality of concentric annular steam-chambers, and a piston fitting between the ribs and provided with a plurality of impact-wings cxtendin g beyond its peripheral line and disposed within the outer groove, said piston being further provided with laterally-projecting ribs or wings disposed within the inner groove, the ribs or wings being inclined and slightly curved and being acted upon as the steam passes from the outer to the central portion of the cylinder.

4. The combination in a rotary engine, of a two-part cylinder, each part being provided with ported ribs forming a plurality of con eentrically disposed annular steam chambers, and a piston having projecting wings disposed in each chamber, said piston being further provided, between the sets of wings, with annular grooves formed in its opposite faces for the reception of the adjacent edges of one pair of annular ribs.

5. The combination in a rotary engine, of a cylinder having a continuous annular steamchest and provided with a plurality of ribs forming concentric annular steam-chambers, the outer of such ribs being provided with substantially tangential ports leading from the steam-chest to the outer steam-chamber and the second of such ribs being provided with ports for the free passage of steam from the first steam-chamber to the second steamchamber, a piston having wings or blades disposed in both steam-chambers, a ported valvering arranged in the steam-chest and governing the flow of steam through the tangential steam-ports, and means for adjusting the position of said valve.

6. The combination in a rotary steam-engine, of a cylinder formed of two sections each section provided with ribs forming annular steam-chambers and a central annular exhaust-chamber in communication with a bottom exhaust-opening, and each of said sections being further centrally cored to form water-jackets, bushings or bearing-sleeves carried by the water-jackets, a shaft extending through said bushings, and a piston carried by the shaft.

7. The combination in a rotary steam-engine, of the sectional-cylinder having an enlarged central chamber for the reception and dischage of exhaust-steam, each of the sec tions being cored to form a Water-jacket, a In testimony that I claim the foregoing as bushing or bearing-sleeve carried by each my own I have hereto affixed my signature in water-jacket, a shaft extending through said the presence of two witnesses.

bushing, a piston mounted on the shaft, and Y AARON II. PIERCE. 5 a pair of oppositely-disposed annular flanges Witnesses:

forming a part of the piston and extending C. W. STEVENS,

over the adjacent ends of the Water-jackets. H. S. PHILLIPS. 

